Mayor Creates Housing Policy Task Force

By Don Morgan and Bill O’Neil

San Antonio’s Mayor believes the time has come to put housing in the spotlight.

“We know that we have an affordable housing shortage here in San Antonio–much like any other city or urban area in the country” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said after announcing the creation of a new housing policy task force.

“This housing task force will begin to develop a comprehensive framework. This is developing a new framework of policies that will deal with affordability issues and directly address gentrification and displacement as a priority” the Mayor said.

The San Antonio Housing Authority announced last month it was closing enrollment in its Section 8 program because more than 30-thousand families seeking to participate could not be accommodated.

The task force is expected to get to work very soon. Nirenberg called it a first step in a longer path which will also include input from experts and ultimately require City Council to sign off on a new policy.

“It’s a big lift, but I think once we have the framework all the day to day activity that you see in the housing space for San Antonio can be guided by a better framework” Nirenberg said.